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Vernestra Rwoh was a Mirialan female Jedi Knight during the High Republic Era. She was also occasionally nicknamed "Vern," although she disliked it. The former Padawan of Jedi Master Stellan Gios, she was promoted to the rank of Knight at the age of fifteen, making her the youngest Jedi to hold that rank in a long time. Several months later, after turning sixteen, Rwoh's first proper Jedi mission was supervising Avon Starros, an aspiring inventor and the daughter of Senator Ghirra Starros, at the remote outpost Port Haileap. However, when Rwoh and Starros joined a party traveling on the starship Steady Wing to the Starlight Beacon, a new space station, the cruiser was bombed, leading the two of them, along with Padawan Imri Cantaros, Starros' protocol droid J-6, and Honesty Weft, the son of a Dalnan ambassador, stranded on the jungle moon Wevo after evacuating the stricken ship in a shuttle. Vernestra, although young for her rank, was devoted to the ideals of the Jedi Order and wished to help others as best she could.

Biography

Early life

Vernestra Rwoh, a Mirialan female,^[2] was born around the year 248 BBY^[1] during the High Republic Era. As a youngling, she learned to call upon the Force, and did so often, finding comfort in the galaxy of life that surrounded her. The child's family group rejoiced at her connection to the Force and subsequent induction into the Jedi Order; the discovery of Force-sensitivity was a celebratory affair for Mirialans, and several members of Rwoh's species considered it a great honor for the girl to become a Jedi.^[3]

As a Jedi initiate, she grew up hearing her elders speak about the Galactic Republic's Starlight Beacon, a massive space station under construction in the Outer Rim that was intended to serve as a safe haven for those far from the Core Worlds. At some point, one of Rwoh's older masters died during a meditative exercise. She and her fellow younglings felt the man pass on into the afterlife. Although Rwoh dearly missed the old Jedi, she took comfort in the fact that he had died at peace.^[3] She eventually became the Padawan of Jedi Master Stellan Gios.^[2] Under his recommendation, Rwoh undertook her Jedi Trials at a very early age; to the surprise of many within the Order, she attained the rank of Jedi Knight at only fifteen,^[3] making her one the youngest Knights in a generation.^[2] Other Padawans held resentment towards the young Mirialan, muttering behind her back that her success was unwarranted.^[3]

The Haileap assignment

Rwoh was stationed at the temple outpost on the planet Hynestia, and within a year, she was given her first proper assignment from the Jedi High Council. The elder Jedi tasked her with watching over Avon Starros, daughter of Republic Senator Ghirra Starros, on the remote planet Haileap in the Dalnan sector. The twelve-year-old aspiring inventor was sent to the far off world by her mother in the hopes that the child would grow more appreciative of her home on Coruscant. Rwoh butted heads with the younger girl during their time at Port Haileap, though she went on to become fascinated by Starros' endless forays into science and invention. While on the remote world, Rwoh served under the supervision of the outpost's marshal, Jedi Master Douglas Sunvale, a jolly human man.^[3]

After her first week at Port Haileap, Rwoh was struck by a vision in her sleep that inspired her to change the design of her lightsaber. Although she did not quite understand why, the dream had given her the foresight to modify the weapon, allowing it to switch from its standard design to that of a lightwhip at a moment's notice. After completing the modification that same night, Rwoh kept her weapon's new capabilities hidden, since the lightwhip was historically associated with dark side groups like the Nightsisters. She began training with the whip in private, deciding not to tell either Master Sunvale or her former Master Gios of her new specialization.^[3]

Master Sunvale eventually requested that Rwoh and Starros accompany him aboard the Steady Wing, a luxury liner set to ferry a group of dignitaries from the planet Dalna to the dedication ceremony of the new Starlight Beacon and then on to Coruscant. Although Starros had no official role to play on the journey and her mother had not sent for her, Sunvale hoped that the girl would befriend Honesty Weft, the twelve-year-old son of the Dalnans' head ambassador, in order to ease the Dalnans' concerns about the Galactic Republic. Rwoh also hoped that the younger children would become friends, as she felt that Avon needed one.^[3]

On a last walk around the port prior to departure, the young Jedi Knight caught Starros, zooming across the landing zone on a homemade scoot speeder, in the act of stealing an energy crystal from a maintenance droid. Rwoh stopped the crafty girl in midair with the Force, questioning Starros' antics and allowing the droid to recover its crystal. Soon joined by J-6, Starros' modified nanny/bodyguard droid, the group headed for the Steady Wing, passing by an unassuming Aqualish dock worker. As they did so, Rwoh stumbled, struck with a sense of foreboding from the Aqualish man. Writing off the feeling as nerves before her mission, she continued aboard the ship, parting ways with Starros and J-6 to prepare for a banquet later that day on the luxury vessel.^[3]

Bombing in the void

Vernestra later met Master Sunvale and his Padawan Imri Cantaros in one of the Steady Wing's dining areas, where they would be dining with the Dalnan delegation, including the Wefts, Janex, and Starstriker. Avon arrived late with J-6, stating her dress had needed refitting, and Vernestra was struck by the sharp contrast with the girl's usual appearance. The party sat down to eat, but just as they were about to begin, the Steady Wing shook. It quickly became clear the ship was in trouble. When the room was exposed to the vacuum of space, Vernestra launched herself towards the breach in order to clear debris preventing a blast door from sealing with her lightsaber. Sunvale ordered Vernestra to lead the way as the group left the room and headed for the escape pods. However, it soon became clear that the pods were gone, even though the Steady Wing was carrying far less passengers than its full possible capacity.^[3]

Vernestra, Avon, Honesty, Imri, and J-6 were separated from Sunvale and the others by a closing blast door. Searching for a way to escape, the group located a hangar containing a maintenance shuttle. With Avon quickly claiming piloting duties for herself, the group fled the doomed Steady Wing shortly before it exploded with no survivors.^[3]

Personality and traits

Vernestra Rwoh was a Mirialan female with green skin, dark hair,^[2] and blue eyes. Vernestra bore the markings of her family, six tiny black diamonds stacked in two rows of three tattooed on the outside corner of each eye. She was compassionate and devoted to the ways of the Jedi. Although Vernestra found her charge Avon exasperating at times, she enjoyed her company and wanted to get to know her better. Vernestra's prodigious talent, which vaulted her to the rank of Knight at an unusually young age, left her in an unusual position, and she was still learning to deal with her rank. This uncertainty, however, led her to occasionally dismiss genuine threats if she sensed them.^[3]

Powers and abilities

Vernestra could use telekinesis, using it to stop Avon Starros when the girl was running around Port Haileap on a scoot speeder when she was supposed to be boarding the Steady Wing. She was also capable of sensing threats through the Force, although she did not always realize the threat was genuine, occasionally dismissing such feelings as nothing.^[3]

Equipment

Vernestra wore brown and cream Jedi robes with short sleeves and fingerless gauntlets on her forearms. She carried a purple-bladed lightsaber, which she had modified to also serve as a lightwhip. Uncertain of the reception the modification would get, she kept it secret as long as possible.^[3]

Behind the scenes

"Vernestra’s 16, so she's probably on the older end for middle-grade — most of middle grade characters tend to be between like 12, 13, 14. But Vernestra has a challenge, in that she is a full Jedi. She’s very young: most 16-year-olds in the Jedi Order are padawans still. She took her testing early, so she’s a bit of a prodigy. She doesn’t know anybody else who is as young as she is so she kind of sticks out, and that gives her her own set of of sort of challenges to deal with. So how is she a Jedi Knight in this order that is being led by amazing Jedi?"

―Justina Ireland on Vernestra Rwoh^[src]

Vernestra Rwoh was created for the 2021 novel The High Republic: A Test of Courage, written by Justina Ireland^[3] as part of the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project.^[4]

Concept art of Vernestra shows her with purple hair, the same color as her lightsaber.^[2]